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We sometimes get lost in our training plans. From week to week we can get stuck going through the motions of getting out for our daily runs and crossing off another session on our plan to hopefully get us to our eventual goal. But what is it you're really trying to achieve with your training session?

There are a lot of people out there who are just getting out on the road, for their daily run as a basic means of exercise or stress relief, and there is nothing wrong with that. But when people start to get serious about improving their time or becoming more competitive, the reasoning or purpose behind their training sessions seems to get lost. We need to remember that we should be training as effectively as possible while placing the smallest amount of stress on our body.

I bring this up because a lot of the time I think we are not performing training specific to our needs. We may have taken a generic training plan from the internet or following what the pro's are doing with their training session. The may even be the case when we are working with a coach.

I don't think this is something you need to do every time you go out for a run, but these may be some points to keep in mind next time you are putting together a training plan or preparing your training for the week:

1. What Are You Trying To Achieve

I know this is a very broad question, but I think it could be the one question you could ask yourself before the start of all training sessions. For example, a long run would be trying to improve aerobic base and endurance, while a sprint session will be to improve strength, speed and mitochondrial density. Both of these examples will need different intensities, duration and recovery afterwards and doing them incorrectly may mean a wasted training session. We talk about setting long term realistic goals for our running, but by doing the same for a specific run may change your frame of mind and improve your output and overall enjoyment.

2. Have You Recovered From Your Last Training Session

You shouldn't just be considering how fatigued your body may be, but also ask yourself are you getting enough sleep, is your nutrition right for the training session and are you well hydrated. You may need to be running at a specific duration or intensity and a difficult run the day before may compromise today's training. It may seem smart to work through the fatigue as it will make you stronger in the long run, but remember the first point as it may also be stopping you from achieving you goal for the training session.

3. Is Your Equipment Right For Your Training

Footwear is always the first thing that comes to mind, but don't forget the weather conditions especially if you are going to be out running for a few hours. Even for the most seasoned runner, its interesting that this still can be an issue. Weather its wearing clothes or shoes for longer than you should, to not training with equipment or nutrition that you plan to be racing with.

If you can start to answer these questions before you get out on the road, then it may help you get more out of your training session on the day.

Now over two years ago, a pic of me running Ironman New Zealand

About the Author
Hey I'm Vince, an Aussie living in New Zealand, trying my best to make the most of the time I have. I work as a Software Engineer but love to run and all aspects of it, including geeking out on the latest science to help get the most out of my body.

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